There will also be more premium seats.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is adding seats to its fleet of widebody long haul aircraft from 2027 onwards, the airline said in a statement earlier this month.
The national flag carrier of the Netherlands will introduce the changes as part of a larger overhaul of their service concept on intercontinental flights, which they say will allow flight attendants to provide more personal contact and serve hot meals faster. The airline says that they’ll be optimizing onboard catering storage, which will shrink the amount of space used for galleys, allowing them to add more seats to their fleet of long haul Boeing aircraft, primarily in the popular Premium Comfort Class. KLM will also add economy class seats, and will add additional business class seats on the Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Typically, the adding of seats to an aircraft interior reduces the amount of space between seats, but KLM has not announced major changes to the amount of personal space for passengers in any class of service. They noted that the new service flow will reduce the number of beverage and meal carts needed to store catering, which will allow for more room for passenger seats with the existing amounts of personal space.
Seat pitch on intercontinental flights in KLM’s economy class averages 31” for standard seats—about on par with competitors. Economy Comfort seats, which are economy seats with additional legroom, but lacking the additional width and differentiated onboard service offered in Premium Comfort Class, have up to 35” of seat pitch. Premium Comfort Class seats offer 39” of legroom, along with a wider seat, deeper recline, movable leg and foot rest, and a smaller, quieter cabin.
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Paul Terstegge, KLM’s executive vice president of inflight services, said that passengers have been asking for more premium economy seats since they were first introduced on KLM in 2022.
“Our Premium Comfort Class is very well appreciated by passengers and is often fully booked. People want to travel, and the demand for unique and more luxury travel is increasing. With the modifications we are going to make, we can expand the number of Premium Comfort seats. In addition to making optimal use of the space on board, we are simultaneously investing in a more modern product with more room for personal contact. This is how we continue to fly, improve and innovate,” said Terstegge.
The welcome drink that KLM previously offered in economy class will return, which KLM says will provide passengers with “an additional moment of interaction”.
Airlines are increasingly investing in the addition of more premium options for economy class passengers who want a better experience, like additional legroom, a more comfortable seat, or an expedited airport experience. Previously the provenance of the expense account business traveler, business class has grown in popularity with leisure travelers who buy their own tickets, and premium economy—a middle way between business and economy, has also seen a surge in demand as travelers seek more ways to customize their travels to suit their particular tastes.
The bottom end of the price spectrum in airline travel, however, is collapsing. Low cost and ultra-low cost carriers saw the biggest impact from slumps in travel demand from throughout 2025. Ultra-low cost carrier Spirit Airlines, which emerged from bankruptcy earlier this year, filed for a second time last month, and announced earlier this week it would furlough 1,800 flight attendants as it seeks to restructure and reduce costs.
KLM said it would make service flow changes and begin refitting aircraft cabins in 2027. KLM flies from Amsterdam to 14 U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Houston-Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York (JFK), Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Washington-Dulles and offers connections throughout the United States via SkyTeam partner Delta Air Lines.
